Using Angel:  Not Just for Distance Learning Courses

This is my second semester using ANGEL for two academic classes and my first for a student group which helps me administer and organize the Sport Clubs on campus which is my professional position at FGCU. I use ANGEL because I am not inherently organized, in fact if you saw my office right now another description could be bombsite/black hole!  ANGEL helps me differentiate papers, emails, announcements and everything associated with teaching in segments one for each class or group. But this is only the tip of the iceberg for the potential ANGEL has to facilitate teaching this generation, being able to track student log ons, which files they have accessed and when, using discussion boards online, and providing online office hours all help not only the teacher but the student who is often more experienced and knowledgeable with computers and computer programs than I am.

One of my favorite tools is the ability to lock all the content of the course from the students until they pass a relatively easy syllabus quiz with 100%, they get as many tries as they like and the last question is always a true/false stating “I have read and understood the syllabus and have had any questions answered by the instructor” (or something to that effect). This enables me to fall back on the quiz answers when that student provides me with the all too creative excuse of “oh I didn’t know we had to do that”

As an avid recycler, being able to upload all the files, PowerPoint’s, notes, announcements online without printing 30 copies for each class session appeals to me very much. The ability to share links with the class and use them for teaching because I know I can access my ANGEL site wherever I am  is fantastic, especially with the internet being such an important tool in teaching nowadays, for the student to learn how to search correctly and actually analyze the validity of websites instead of believing everything on them is key because a student is much more likely to browse the web than read a couple of chapters. This interaction through the ANGEL Resources nugget is great.

While this program has been designed primarily for academic classes to use in lecture, I have found the platform useful in administrating FGCU’s Sport Clubs which is my principal job here at FGCU. Within the Sport Club group each club is its individual team with the officers of the club able to upload files, submit forms and look for announcements on events and new policies. By stepping out of the academic box I have been able to convert a grade book into a way to approve fundraising ideas or travelling for competitive teams. I believe using this kind of platform for the administration of other on campus groups and/or programs is an incredibly efficient way to utilize a tool that is already available.